Strange object found in attic

[evetsrolyat]

What is it? A 4 inch long cylindrical copper tube with a screw top, full of wadding, and with a piece of fine tapered tubing clipped to the side?

[Hopkirk]

A partly built terrorist pipe bomb?

[evetsrolyat]

Yes, I thought of that, or part of an oxyacetylene bicycle or caver's lamp, or a very crude gas lighter, but no...

[NazNomad]

Photos?

[Hopkirk]

No Naz, photos are usually made of paper not copper piping.

[deggers316]

oh hopkirk, very droll,lol

[sddsddean]

Could be part of an acetylene lamp. Look like any of these?
http://www.google.co....ll=1&biw=1210&bih=699

[evetsrolyat]

Thank you sddsddean, I'm pretty sure that's it.

[seadogg]

Still used as a standby by some cavers.

[RAV1D]

is it the plumbers make do sex toy? while he was up in your loft. its prob just some scrap that got left there weigh it in at the local scrap yard get some cash for it!

[pilotlight]

Sounds like it could be a ' mouthlamp ', as used by gasfitters years ago for soldering joints on lead piping.
The cylindrical part would be filled with methalated spirit, this would seep up to the exposed part of the wick, or wadding as you say. A 2ft. long piece of small bore rubber tube would be connected to the fine tapered tubing.
The exposed part of the wick would be lit, to produce a constant flame, the gasfitter would then blow down the end of the rubber tube, and, as the other end of the fine tapered tubing, which should be copper ,by the way, bends over the wick, this produces a fine flame point which is ideal for melting solder into the prepared joint on the lead pipe.
I still have mine in the garage, still in working order. I would post a photo of it, but don't know how to do that.
Hope this helps.

[pilotlight]

evetsrolyat, if you google ' gas fitters lamps ', then select the cgi.ebay site, you will see one.

[razza]

Part of a blowlamp

[evetsrolyat]

Wow! Thanks Pilotlight and razza - that is exactly it!
Thanks all who contributed answers.